Dear Editor,
I am heartened by Maurice Haughton's article in your edition of the 29/4/14, especially in reference to the 2002 case against the Queen of England, etc. In that matter, I was one of the claimants and the attorney.
I will state a few facts which are not well known:
Firstly, my brother and friend, Bert Samuels, assisted greatly in the preparation and arguing of the matter, especially on those occasions when I was abroad.
Secondly, it took great courage on Bert's part, upon my request, to ask the learned judge if he was a member of a lodge, to which he replied in the negative. The reason for this is obvious.
Thirdly, the matter went before several judges who, sensing history, did not want to rule against black Jamaicans and so found reasons to pass over the matter.
Fourthly, on one occasion when the matter was put off, I said to Solicitor General Michael Hylton: "The ancestors have spoken." On another occasion, when an over-exuberant judge started to rule against us even before hearing arguments, and thus had to recuse himself, Hylton said to me: "The ancestors have spoken."
Fifthly, on one occasion, before Justice Anderson, the solicitor general, in an effort to speed up the process, said to the judge: "This case is having an adverse effect on the relationship between England and Jamaica." One can imagine how proud I felt, that this little black bwoy from the ghettos of Gem Road and Lincoln Avenue could carry out actions, that "bex" The Queen and the Government of England. Do they know how many times they vex me, when I read and hear the atrocities, tortures and murders carried out against my ancestors? Their vexation reminds me of how "bex" the Americans and their grand masters were when my little daughter Makeda Lorne, at age seven, playing in the under-10 category of a world chess tournament in Puerto Rico, defeated the American champion, who was 10 years old, in seven moves. Just imagine how vexed they were to be beaten by this black, dreadlocked, little pickney, from the black hills of Jamaica.
Eventualy, Justice Marsh, in pain, ruled: "The rights which Messrs Lorne, Holmes and Latty identified on the face of the summons are the rights of those persons who were enslaved and consequently the applicants would not have locus standi to ask for the declarations which are being sought." I did not appeal the matter, but instead sent copies of the judgement to pan-Africanists all over the world so that future reparations cases would not give them the excuse to say we are not Africans. Wherever we are, we can now trace our roots by DNA to the villages from whence we came.
One of the ironies of this case, is that the solicitor general and his team of lawyers were paid by taxpayers of this country, descendants of slaves, to defend The Queen of England against black Jamaicans who were seeking justice.
I thank the creator for making me an African. The journey continues.
Ras Miguel Lorne
Kingston
'The ancestors have spoken'
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I am heartened by Maurice Haughton's article in your edition of the 29/4/14, especially in reference to the 2002 case against the Queen of England, etc. In that matter, I was one of the claimants and the attorney.
I will state a few facts which are not well known:
Firstly, my brother and friend, Bert Samuels, assisted greatly in the preparation and arguing of the matter, especially on those occasions when I was abroad.
Secondly, it took great courage on Bert's part, upon my request, to ask the learned judge if he was a member of a lodge, to which he replied in the negative. The reason for this is obvious.
Thirdly, the matter went before several judges who, sensing history, did not want to rule against black Jamaicans and so found reasons to pass over the matter.
Fourthly, on one occasion when the matter was put off, I said to Solicitor General Michael Hylton: "The ancestors have spoken." On another occasion, when an over-exuberant judge started to rule against us even before hearing arguments, and thus had to recuse himself, Hylton said to me: "The ancestors have spoken."
Fifthly, on one occasion, before Justice Anderson, the solicitor general, in an effort to speed up the process, said to the judge: "This case is having an adverse effect on the relationship between England and Jamaica." One can imagine how proud I felt, that this little black bwoy from the ghettos of Gem Road and Lincoln Avenue could carry out actions, that "bex" The Queen and the Government of England. Do they know how many times they vex me, when I read and hear the atrocities, tortures and murders carried out against my ancestors? Their vexation reminds me of how "bex" the Americans and their grand masters were when my little daughter Makeda Lorne, at age seven, playing in the under-10 category of a world chess tournament in Puerto Rico, defeated the American champion, who was 10 years old, in seven moves. Just imagine how vexed they were to be beaten by this black, dreadlocked, little pickney, from the black hills of Jamaica.
Eventualy, Justice Marsh, in pain, ruled: "The rights which Messrs Lorne, Holmes and Latty identified on the face of the summons are the rights of those persons who were enslaved and consequently the applicants would not have locus standi to ask for the declarations which are being sought." I did not appeal the matter, but instead sent copies of the judgement to pan-Africanists all over the world so that future reparations cases would not give them the excuse to say we are not Africans. Wherever we are, we can now trace our roots by DNA to the villages from whence we came.
One of the ironies of this case, is that the solicitor general and his team of lawyers were paid by taxpayers of this country, descendants of slaves, to defend The Queen of England against black Jamaicans who were seeking justice.
I thank the creator for making me an African. The journey continues.
Ras Miguel Lorne
Kingston
'The ancestors have spoken'
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